About Spotted Donkey Cantina at El Pedregal, Boulders Resort

Fresh, lively and energetic, the Spotted Donkey Cantina at el Pedregal is a Scottsdale original. Offering the best drinks, unique food and a festive atmosphere are quickly earning Spotted Donkey Cantina at el Pedregal a reputation as the place to dine in North Scottsdale.

The restaurant's North Scottsdale location provides a fabulous backdrop of 12-million-year-old rock formations and you can catch the Arizona sky creating a stunning atmosphere on our large outdoor patio.

Only one out of four liked the house margaritas. We only tried two entrees between the four of us. Both the carne asada & the chicken fajitas had too much “chili” flavoring. However, the meat was tender. We passed on dessert.

Had a great get together with friends at the reserved time of 7:15!Accommodated our party of eight very effectively and efficiently seated at a comfortable round table that made for greatConversation! The food was great with all enjoying their individual menu selections served by friendly accommodating staff!Received a call from the restaurant at 6:55 complaining that we were late for a 6:45 Reservation ?!?!?

The food was very good. We felt food came too fast but they had large groups coming in and were probably staying ahead of the rush. Service could’ve been a little bit better as far as waiting for drink order or to check if we needed anything.

We always love going to the Spotted Donkey. Dependably great food and a lively atmosphere. Try the shooters; they're spicy but good. Thanks to our server, John, who is so professional and nice. We also enjoy having Joaquin as a server.

Everyone (11 of us) enjoyed their food except those who ordered the burrito. The pork tenderloin with mac & cheese is excellent and highly recommended, however that selection was not included in the menu.

Love the atmosphere of this restaurant! Nice and cozy! The noise level is nice! We went with another couple and we were all happy with our food! The pork chimichanga was excellent. And the chips and salsa were great also especially the tomatillo salsa! The only complaint would be the drink prices. They were a little high!

Dinner started out with two of the most limey margaritas that we have ever had. We sent them back and the waiter said 50% of margaritas get sent back for having too much lime juice. I said wow, that sounds like a problem you should fix. He stated that management didn't have a handle on the bartender and made it sound like chaos there. He went back and personally made the margaritas and they were great. I didn't care to hear about the employees that were not getting it done there, I just wanted good food and drink. I think there is much better Mexican food in the valley for a better price than here.

This is one of many visits. We have had good and, well, less than desired. This visit was difficult because of understaffing and very slow service. Food was ok but way over salted. Paid $8 for chips and salsa. Chips were crushed into large crumbs. They replaced them but really, why would you ever serve them. I think we are going to find a replacement restaurant.

Attentive service. Good mexican food, served hot at a fair price. If you like mexican food you won't be disappointed. We discovered when the bill came that you can charge it to your room at the Boulders, which is very convenient.

We were ignored for the first 10 minutes after we were seated. When the server did show up she took our order and another persons order who had just been seated. The other person had several questions regarding to drink menu and our order did not get placed for several more minutes. The poppers and the jalapeño margarita were top notch. I was looking forward to the green chili stew. It lacked flavor and was blah. The shrimp tacos were were good but nothing to write home about. We drove 25 miles to enjoy this place based on recommendation. Should have eaten close to home

PROSLisa was our server and she was absolutely adorable.Food was really good.

CONSI asked for nachos without jalapeno and it came with, which was really a problem for me.My friends enjoyed it so I didn't say anything but I had to pass on this dish :(20% service had been added to the check, which seemed a bit too much for a party of 5.We asked Lisa to remove it and she did. We gave her more than 20% :)

Tags: Good for a Date, Business Meals, Spicy, Great for Outdoor Dining

Spotted Donkey is one of our 'go to' spots. The food is delicious. I love the fajitas and the salmon tostada is also excellent. Good selection of beers. They have some very fine tequilas although they can get pricey. Price is about average for this area which is a bit upscale. In the fall and spring, the patio is a great. During the fall/winter/spring make a reservation as it can get crowded.

We just loved the Spotted Donkey. Service was outstanding and the food exceptional. We plan to go back soon.

Tags: Comfort Food, Special Occasion, Good for a Date, Authentic, Good Vegetarian Options, Worth the Drive, Neighborhood Gem, Casual, Great for Outdoor Dining, Good for Groups, Spicy, Handcrafted Cocktails, Happy Hour

The restaurant is very hard to find after dark if you are not familiar with the area. It is located in a shopping mall on the second floor. The restaurant décor is nice and our male server was efficient. The guacamole appetizer was good but expensive and the wine list had a few good red wines to choose from. We found it a little strange that chips and salsa were not served and the dishes we ordered included rice but no refried beans. The chile Rellenos and fish tacos were both good.

We always have the greatest experience at this hidden gem in El Pedregal. Even during the summer months it is best to make a reservation which speaks to the loyalty this restaurant commands. Great Mexican food with a contemporary twist.

I wanted to like this place. It's a lonely restaurant in what was once a thriving shopping area and now is still a lovely property but empty of tenants. But when 2/4 of us think the enchiladas are bad, that's not a good sign. Lack of flavor and luke warm temps doesn't get it. Just very mediocre food. To their credit the guacamole was tasty, but we could have used more chips. Service was fine, but food is main event so it's not worth returning.

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